Best Hair Products For Men

18 Killer Hair Products That Belong In Your Bathroom Cabinet

The AskMen Acquire team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life.

Men's hairstyles continually evolve with new trends, and with each trend comes a slew of new hair products. Just like the shoes and clothes you wear, the way you style your hair says a lot about your sense of fashion and personality.

That said, even if you crave a new look, sometimes change is intimidating. Kind of like shaving off a hard-earned beard can be off-putting, letting your short locks grow out can feel somewhat disorienting — and with reason! Your look, to some extent, dictates who you are. So before you decide on your next hair move, know what types of hair products are out there and what they can do for you.

Putties/clay: Best for medium hold and matte finish with texture on straight hairstyles

Pomade: Best for medium-to-high hold and shine on short-to-medium hairstyles

Cream: Best for medium and long hairstyles with light hold

Wax: Best for medium hold and low shine on shorter hairstyles

Gel: Best for maximum hold and high shine on most hairstyles

Mousse: Best for firm hold and added volume on straight hairstyles

Paste: Best for medium hold and matte finish on messy, textured hairstyles

These products each form distinct textures and styles for various hair types, which might be overwhelming if you don't know exactly what you need. We've combed through the best hair products out there. From the luxury brand names to the cream of the drug store crop, good hair products for men can be found at all levels of the hair-product stratum. It's also why lists like this one are great guides – just like in choosing the best beard trimmers or the best electric shavers – to know where to start in donning that new hairstyle you've been wanting to try.

Putties and Clay

Wax’s cousins, putties and clay, can be used in much the same way as any strong-holding matte product. These are great for accomplishing the messiest-looking hairdos with pretty much any hair type, and can even help add thickness to naturally thin manes. Clays and company will create defined strands and a pliable texture that won’t give itself away with any shine.

How To Use: Like wax, use your fingers to texture and tousle the areas that you want to style. Clay isn’t sticky, but it can leave a gummy residue in your hair and on your hands if you use too much.

Baxter of California Clay Pomade

A perfect halfway point between pomade and putty, this award-winning (Men's Health Best Styling Product, and Reader's Digest Best Wax) lemon and sage-scented clay from Baxter of California is a great option for anyone needing control of their hair. It boasts natural ingredients, like real clay and beeswax, a strong hold with a no-shine finish, while it creates natural-looking shapes.$20.90 at Amazon.com

Lock Stock & Barrel 85 Karats Shaping Clay

Clays are great for adding volume and texture to any style, and this one from Lock Stock & Barrel is a perfect example. Especially great on shorter cuts for locking in those stubborn short hairs, it can be used on damp or dry hair. It can also be reapplied or reshaped throughout the day by simply working it with your fingers.$19.59 at Amazon.com

Pomade

A clever blend of wax and oil, a good pomade will help you achieve the classic look made popular by Leonardo DiCaprio (think The Great Gatsby) and Mad Men’s Don Draper. Pomades are primarily used to bless hair with extra shine and softer texture, which makes them especially great for curly hair. When choosing a pomade, look for one that’s water-based so it's easy to wash out.

How To Use: Using your fingers, spread a small amount of pomade to the areas that need a little extra shaping or texture. Be careful not to use too much to avoid your hair looking greasy.

Imperial Barber Products Classic Pomade (Best Pomade)

A brand defined by barbers for barbers, Imperial produces one of the strongest water-based products out there. With the ability to adapt to wet or dry hair, groomists can style their locks effortlessly—whether that means fresh out of the shower styling or a post-workday refresh. Enjoy semi-sheen with clean rinsability.$18.74 at Amazon.com

Murray’s Original Pomade

From a company who clearly cherishes brand value, Murray's Original Pomade is simple and modest, yet has earned itself a devout celebrity fan club. With this number, you can forget about the extra bells and whistles, but you can count on it as a veritable workhorse in your dopp kit. $5.93 at Amazon.com

Uppercut Deluxe Pomade

Perfectly water-soluble, this product is particularly popular among those who rock the slickback, the pompadour or other timeless styles. It features a strong hold, and a medium shine that doesn't dry up and flake.$13.16 at Amazon.com

Cream

For the most natural look, a quality cream will simply add a touch of shine and lustre for a healthy-looking head of hair. Perfect for wavy, curly, and longer locks, cream is a great grooming product that can help eradicate frizziness when used on wet hair. Compared to stiff wax or heavy gel, creams offer a light texture, which can also help soften coarse hair. For inspiration, you can look to Brad Pitt in The Counselor or World War Z.

How To Use: Creams can be used as a main or finishing product. Start by distributing a small amount from your hands to your hair, and re-apply as needed. For those with longer hair, you can concentrate on treating the ends to help diminish dead-end frizziness.

Fellow Barber Styling Cream

Here's the trick to mastering the messy look. Fellow Barber's ultra-light hold and under-the-radar shine lends it a finish that kind of reads party-meets-boardroom. This one is definitely in our top picks.$22.00 at Amazon.com

Paul Mitchell Shaping Cream

Tea tree is one of the foremost ingredients in men's hair products – it's natural and cleansing. Designed to give your hair ample texture and definition, this tea tree cream dries matte so that your hair looks as natural as possible. Its soft wax makes for easy styling. $17.95 at Amazon.com

Baxter of California Grooming Cream

Functional on numerous styling fronts, Baxter’s lightweight hair treatment conveys manageability and overall conditioning better than most products in its class. It’s formulated for fine/thinning hair with a rich ingredient list that allows it to tame wavy/curly hair as well. Rely on a trio of essential oils—grapeseed, jojoba, and sunflower—to aid in hydration and follicle repair.$19.00 at Amazon.com

Wax

This versatile product can help you achieve great hairstyles, from relaxed bed-head to more controlled looks. Good for short to mid-length hair, wax can deliver long-holding style, without adding grease or looking shiny. As your day progresses, hair wax will allow you to reshape and restyle accordingly, without getting your hands sticky. As long as it is evenly distributed, wax can lend you an effortlessly roguish look.

How To Use: Shake the bottle. Dispense a small amount in one hand and apply to your hair with both hands. Style your hair to your liking and blow dry for maximum hold.

Uppercut Featherweight Pliable Paste

For easy, messy hair, this medium-hold wax from Uppercut will do the trick. The wax is light, so you don't have to worry about it hardening, and it has a dry, matte finish, so you don't have to worry about looking like you've got gunk in your hair. $13.00 at Amazon.com

V76 V Rated Natural Wax

Applicable on dry hair, this offering suits the tousled medium look warranting medium hold and low shine. It’s praised for not melting on your scalp throughout the day, earning users carefully “careless shape, sheen, and separation” with natural movement. Slickness is another area where the product excels leaving no stray hairs present.$21.00 at Amazon.com

Gel

Good for thick hair, gel’s primary function is to keep hair in place. Hair gel can be used to attain some of the most old-school looks, like the ones sported by Elvis, or John Travolta in Grease. Slick and stiff, it can be applied to wet or dry hair for different effects. Gel tends to make hair shiny, which is probably what has earned its reputation as the modern day hair grease.
If you’re happy with keeping the same look from dawn until dusk, gel will deliver exactly that. That said, you might want to consider a different option if you’re prone to running your fingers through your hair. Once dried in position, gel can break from its shape, or flake, if meddled with.

How To Use: Start with a small coin-sized portion of gel in your hands. Apply to wet or dry hair, and style as usual. You can use a blow dryer for maximum hold or let it dry naturally (it will look shinier). As previously mentioned, refrain from retouching once the gel is dry to avoid flaking.

Dove Men Care Control Gel

Adapted for stylish purposes, Dove’s translucent gel gives the appearance of thicker, stronger hair with smooth texture application. The caffeine-infused substance resurrects flat and thin manes by keeping hair defined and smooth, leaving no grease or residue behind. One quick pass-through with a comb and create a bold look, on a budget at that.$4.65 at Amazon.com

Redken For Men Stand Tough Extreme Gel

Not many gels can earn strong reviews backed by a colossal 5-star rating (83%) on Amazon. Then again, that’s quite normal for any Redken personal care product. Its extra strong gel falls in line showcasing maximum stay power that comes third to its definition and shaping capabilities. Curly types should find solace in freezing their frizz in place when out and about.$13.50 at Amazon.com

Kerastase Homme Sculpting Gel

The star of this category, this sculpting gel from Kerastase is great for creating a denser head of hair, without feeling heavy or greasy. It's also water-soluble for easy removal.$29.57 at Amazon.com

Pastes

Ideal for all hair lengths, paste bears a thicker consistency than most other styling products, yet is known to provide hair a medium to strong hold. Other notable attributes include a natural matte finish and touch of shine. They come water-based, can easily be rinsed out, and lastly, give you more control of hair placement.

How to use: Normally thicker hair paste requires some heating before application. However, rubbing it together softens the composition for balanced distribution. Once styled it will cool into hair and re-thicken, therefore holding your hairstyle in place.

Kevin Murphy Night Rider Matte Texture Paste

Not strictly speaking a mousse, Aveda's styling foam is a great product to use against thin, flat hair — also it's easy to apply. Made from natural ingredients, one will never worry over chemicals often found in other mousse alternatives (stay away from anything that comes in an aerosol can). Build volume and keep hair detangled.$39.99 Amazon.com

Fellow Barber Texture Paste

Much like its styling cream, Fellow Barber’s hair plaster is potent enough to nourish your entire crown landscape. It’s a product that adapts to your grooming tendencies over time, offering resilient texture and shaping the more you use it. A light amount is enough to control waves, whereas a heavier dose puts coarse hair in its place.$22.00 at Amazon.com

Axe Messy Look Flexible Paste

A hot seller amongst urbanites, Axe’s hairstyling fix solves the walk-of-shame look with a flexible hold and polished texture that lifts your spirits when rushing out the door. Instantly reshape and relax hair with just a smidge off the top of the tin can. Hints of coconut are a nice touch. Incorporate with the brand’s haircare regimen (we recommend the 2-in-1 Adrenaline Deep Clean Shampoo & Conditoner) for maximum performance.$7.89 at Amazon.com

Mousse

Mousse really isn't our favorite kind of hair product, mainly because it's annoying to use (it's foamy in the hands and feels crunchy when it dries) and because you can accomplish similar, easier effects with other types of hair products. That said, there are a few good mousse options out there and it can be used fairly successfully on thin hair. Especially when used in combination with a blow dryer, mousse can lend extra volume.

How to use: Use when hair is damp, starting at the roots of your hair. Style as usual, and let dry naturally or with a blow dryer.

Aveda Phomollient Styling Foam

Not strictly speaking a mousse, Aveda's styling foam is a great product to use against thin, flat hair — also it's easy to apply. Made from natural ingredients, one will never worry over chemicals often found in other mousse alternatives (stay away from anything that comes in an aerosol can). Build volume and keep hair detangled.$21.00 at Nordstrom.com

Giovanni Natural Mousse Air-Turbo Charged Hair Styling Foam

Give your follicles a botanical spritz with this nutrient-filled mousse. Distribution is slick across the head despite having a heavy texture, but that’s simply an attribute that aids in the product’s super-strong hold. Its neutral scent also kills any metrosexual notions normally associated with unisex mousses.$20.41 at Amazon.com

Which Hair Product Is Right For You?

Hopefully, you'll find a product that best reflects your hair and style needs. Just remember: Whatever product you opt for, make sure it contains no alcohol, and try to find products with UV sunscreen protection and moisturizing characteristics to maintain healthy hair.

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